Who We Are

Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn | Co-Founders and Artistic Directors

As the pianoSonoma Duo and as Yamaha Artists, pianists Jessica and Michael Shinn perform regularly throughout the United States. They have been invited to speak about the role of the arts in society and to perform at the Pebble Beach Authors and Ideas Festival. Passionate advocates of new music, Jessica and Michael have given world premieres by composers such as Adam Schoenberg and Thomas Cabaniss. They commissioned the latter to write a major two-piano concerto, Double Rainbow, that will be the centerpiece of a forthcoming album featuring the music Cabaniss has written for the duo. In 2017, Jessica and Michael performed the world premiere of Double Rainbow with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and again in 2018 with the San Luis Obispo Symphony.

Michael Shinn

Michael Shinn, D.M.A., was appointed interim executive director of Boston Conservatory at Berklee in August 2023. In this role, Michael oversees strategy, operations, and artistic planning for the Conservatory and works closely with faculty members and administrators to develop a transformative curriculum that reflects an ever-evolving performing arts landscape. In addition, Michael represents the Conservatory and its interests, both across the Berklee organization and in public arenas. Learn more about Michael.

Jessica Chow Shinn

Pianist Jessica Chow Shinn is associate professor of piano and is head of collaborative piano at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She was a faculty member at The Juilliard School in the College and Evening Divisions from 2012-2017. Learn more about Jessica.

Rami Paa | Director of Operations

Rami Paa is a highly sought after pianist and longtime Sonoma County resident. She started her musical training as a young child, and later went on to attend Concordia University and Sonoma State University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance. There, she studied with Marilyn Thompson and was invited to play for many concerts and events for the music department and with the development of the Green Music Center. Since graduating, she has received her MBA in Music Business from Southern New Hampshire University, has continued working as a freelance musician, and has embarked on a successful career as an Arts Administrator, working with such prestigious organizations as pianoSonoma, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Chamber Music San Francisco, and Lesher Center for the Arts. She currently Senior Manager of Artistic Planning and Production at San Francisco Performances.

Anthony Barfield | Director of Technology

Anthony Barfield is a producer and composer based in New York City. Known for his lyrical writing style, his compositions have been performed throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Anthony has received commissions from organizations such as The New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with performances by orchestras such as The Toronto Symphony, The Seattle Symphony and Kansas City Symphony. In 2012 he made his Carnegie Hall debut at the New York Wind Band Festival where his work “Here We Rest” was premiered. In demand as a composer in residence, Anthony has worked with groups such as The United States Marine Band “President’s Own” and has had performances at the Southwest, Northwest and Northeast College Bandmasters National Association. Anthony released his first composition album in the fall of 2013 titled “Chapter II” with The University of Alabama Wind Ensemble. Anthony studied composition with C.P. First with additional coaching from Thomas Cabaniss, Avner Dorman, and Nils Vigeland.

As a former trombonist, he has performed at halls such as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Dizzy’s Coca Cola Club, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center. Anthony has served as a Trombone teaching Artist for Grammy-award-winning producer Phil Ramone’s Children’s Orchestra and was a member of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra in Philadelphia. He has performed with The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Alabama Symphony, and Mobile Symphony.

Formerly the Media Production Manager for Juilliard Global Ventures, Anthony produced content for the Juilliard Open Studios app which was named by Apple as a Best New App in 2015. After leaving his position at JGV he founded a music production company called Velocity Music, which has produced pop music for major artists such as the singer- songwriter Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, as well as scored music for independent feature films. Recently, Velocity Music signed a record deal with Pologrounds Music a subsidiary of SONY RCA records.

Anthony holds degrees in trombone performance from the Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music and holds a lecturer position at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Teachers include Joseph Alessi, Per Brevig and Dan Drill. Anthony currently resides in New York City with his wife Alaina and Black Pug Gouda.

Board of Directors

Susan Vondy Batchelor, Darrell Prescott, Jessica Shinn, Michael Shinn, Lauren Thompson